Gratiot-Isabella RESD

What Gratiot-Isabella RESD does

Gratiot-Isabella Regional Education Service District (GIRESD) is a public, government-state entity headquartered in Ithaca, Michigan that serves nine K-12 public school districts across Gratiot and Isabella counties. Founded in 1962, the organization provides shared educational services that individual small rural districts cannot cost-effectively replicate independently. Its core service portfolio includes special education programs (including the CBE Program at the Mahoney Center), Career and Technical Education delivered through GI-TEC campuses in Alma and Mt. Pleasant, Educational Innovation and Technology (EIT) support, professional development, and health/wellness initiatives such as the GCAMP movement program and the Imagination Library early literacy partnership with Dolly Parton's foundation.

Operationally, GIRESD is funded through state government allocations, federal education grants, and local property tax revenues distributed via the Michigan school funding formula, with most programs offered free of charge to eligible residents (the Imagination Library costs approximately $32 per child per year to administer). Technology integration is largely off-the-shelf SaaS — Incident IQ for IT ticketing, NWEA for assessment, Red Rover for HR/applicant tracking, WillSub for substitute staffing, Google Workspace for documentation, and Learning Stream for PD registration — rather than proprietary platforms. The organization reaches educators, families, and partner employers through its website, social media, quarterly newsletters (Special Ed Matters, Community Health Magazine), and in-person events including the annual Educator to Industry Tour.

GIRESD's go-to-market is structurally community-led: as a legislatively designated RESD, its constituent base is fixed (nine member districts plus regional families), and growth in program reach (e.g., 300 educators trained on GCAMP within one year) occurs through deepening engagement with the existing constituency rather than commercial customer acquisition. Leadership comprises Superintendent Paul Hungerford, Associate Superintendent Stephanie Binder, HR Director Chelsea Giles, and PE/Health Consultant Joshua Boutwell, with a total headcount of 51-100 employees.

Name

Gratiot-Isabella RESD

Legal name

Gratiot-Isabella Regional Education Service District

Website

https://giresd.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Gratiot-Isabella RESD is a public Michigan Regional Education Service District providing shared special education, career technical education, technology support, and early literacy programs to nine K-12 public school districts across Gratiot and Isabella counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Educational Support Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional Education Service Agencies (ESAs/BOCES/Intermediate Units) (EDADABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ), Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH), Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH), Special Education (IEP/504) & Student Support Case Management (EDAFAEAI)

Keywords

• Regional education services
• Career technical education
• Special education services
• Early childhood literacy
• Educator professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Ithaca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government/Federal Funding: As a public Regional Education Service District in Michigan, GIRESD receives funding through state government allocations, federal education grants, and local property tax revenues distributed through the Michigan school funding formula.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gratiot-Isabella Regional Education Service District (GIRESD) is a public, government entity that delivers shared educational services to nine K-12 public school districts across Gratiot and Isabella Counties in Michigan. Its core offerings include Career and Technical Education (GI-TEC), Special Education Services, Educational Innovation and Technology support, early childhood literacy (Imagination Library), and the GCAMP classroom movement program. The district functions as a regional coordination body, providing specialized staff, programs, and infrastructure that individual rural districts could not afford on their own.

Product overview

Gratiot-Isabella RESD operates as a Regional Education Service District serving Gratiot and Isabella counties in Michigan. The organization offers a multi-faceted portfolio of educational programs and services centered around five core areas: (1) Early Childhood Literacy through the Imagination Library program in partnership with Dolly Parton; (2) Career and Technical Education via GI-TEC with campuses in Alma and Mt. Pleasant; (3) Educational Innovation and Technology (EIT) providing NWEA assessments, professional development, and tech support; (4) Special Education Services including programs at the Mahoney Center; and (5) Health and Physical Education initiatives including the GCAMP movement program. The district also conducts professional development programs like the annual Educator to Industry Tour and Growing Minds hydroponics project, while maintaining Title IX compliance oversight.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GI-TEC: Career and Technical Education program with campuses in Alma and Mt. Pleasant, offering vocational training and workforce development programs.
• Imagination Library of Gratiot & Isabella Counties
• GCAMP
• Mahoney Center

Products and services

• GI-TEC (Gratiot-Isabella Technical Education Center) Career and Technical Education (CTE) program offering vocational training with campuses in Alma and Mt. Pleasant. Provides programs aligned with local industry needs including advanced manufacturing, law enforcement, firefighting, hospitality, and event management for high school students from member districts.
• Special Education Services Comprehensive special education programs serving students with special needs across Gratiot and Isabella counties, including the CBE Program at Mahoney Center and various classroom and support services. Available to member districts requiring specialized instructional and therapeutic staff.
• Educational Innovation and Technology (EIT) Department offering technology support, professional development, NWEA assessment tools, SCECH/DPPD continuing education credits, continuous improvement programs, pupil accounting, attendance systems, and health/physical education resources that support student achievement across member districts.
• Imagination Library of Gratiot and Isabella Counties Early childhood literacy program delivered in partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Provides free, age-appropriate books mailed monthly to children from birth until age 5 who are residents of Gratiot or Isabella counties. Operational cost is approximately $32 per child per year for books and postage.
• GCAMP (Gratiot-Isabella Classroom Activity and Movement Program) Physical activity program created to increase movement throughout the school day. Consists of movement games and videos for short breaks between subjects or planned throughout the day, and has trained 300 educators in the region.
• Educator to Industry Tour Annual professional development program that connects educators from Gratiot and Isabella County school districts with local employers through on-site tours. Tour sites are aligned with CTE programs to provide insight into technical competencies and workforce expectations.
• Mahoney Center Regional education facility and events center operated by GIRESD that hosts programs including the art expo, CBE Program, summer school and professional development events, and community activities such as Project Connect.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300 educators trained on GCAMP movement program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dolly Parton's Imagination LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995Partnership to deliver Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program in Gratiot and Isabella Counties. The program provides free monthly books to preschool children from birth to age 5. Imagination Library was founded in 1995 and selects books with input from educators and child development specialists. The program costs approximately $32 per child per year for books and postage.
• Mike Rowe / Dirty Jobs FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMike Rowe, creator of TV's Dirty Jobs and trade advocate, was featured at GI-TEC to talk to young adults about skilled trades and career pathways in technical fields.
• Michigan Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIRESD participates in the Michigan AI & Media Literacy Conference organized by the Michigan Department of Education, with dedicated sessions for K-5 and 6-12 educators to explore AI tools and media literacy strategies.
• Michigan Moves CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIRESD PE/Health Consultant Josh Boutwell participates in the Michigan Moves Coalition, which promotes physical activity in schools. Michigan is the 2nd state to develop a Michigan Physical Activity Plan (MPAP). Boutwell served on the Education Sector developing strategies for increasing physical activity.
• REMC (Regional Educational Media Center 5)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerREMC offers programs including the Growing Minds project providing free classroom hydroponics setups and training to educators in the region. REMC 5 serves as the educational media center cooperative for the area.
• State of MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs a Regional Education Service District, GIRESD operates under Michigan state education guidelines and participates in state reporting systems including the Michigan School Data Dashboard and State Transparency Reporting.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kent Intermediate School District: Michigan ISD serving school districts in Kent County with shared services including special education, CTE, and professional development. Operates the same RESD/ISD structural model as GIRESD at a larger scale.
• Genesee Intermediate School District: Michigan ISD serving Genesee County school districts with shared services in special education, CTE, and instructional support—comparable regional service agency structure.
• Oakland Schools: Oakland County intermediate school district providing shared educational services, professional development, and specialized programs to member districts—same Michigan ISD/RESD structural model.
• Macomb Intermediate School District: Michigan ISD providing shared educational services, CTE, and special education support to Macomb County districts—directly comparable RESD/ISD peer.
• Northwest Regional Education Service District: Oregon regional ESD serving school districts in northwest Oregon with shared services including special education, CTE, and technology support—structural equivalent outside Michigan.
• Ingham Intermediate School District: Michigan ISD serving Ingham County districts with similar shared services, special education, and CTE programming—same intermediate service district governance model.
• Washtenaw Intermediate School District: Michigan ISD serving Washtenaw County districts with shared educational services, special education, and CTE programs—same intermediate service district model.
• Education Service Center Region 11: Texas Education Service Center providing shared services to school districts in a multi-county region, including professional development, special education, and instructional support—comparable regional service agency.
• Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13: Pennsylvania Intermediate Unit providing shared educational services including special education, professional development, and CTE programming to member school districts—structural analog to a Michigan RESD.
• Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency (Wayne RESA): Michigan regional educational service agency providing shared services to Wayne County school districts, including special education, CTE, and professional development—directly analogous to GIRESD's RESD role.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Imagination-Library-of-Gratiot-and-Isabella-Counties/454449204584687
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gratiot-isabella-resd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gratiot-Isabella RESD